Roasted Vegetable Salad

If you are looking for a go-to side for the grilling season, Roasted Vegetable Salad with Basil Pesto will not disappoint! Great for backyard cookout or on a Sunday buffet, it could not be easier to put together, its’s low carb and gluten free and packed full of incredible summer flavor! This salad is a definite winner!

I love this time of year on the ranch…. it’s just a gorgeous sight. It’s so green and lush, babies are being born, cactus and wildflowers are blooming everywhere, the weather is still cool enough to enjoy grilling and riding around, and my garden is showing some promise of some fresh veggies in a few weeks. It is also the time of year that I start craving quick meals off the grill and light, refreshing no fuss side dishes. I know what you’re thinking…layered salads, old school potato salad, coleslaw and cold noodle salads…FORGET ABOUT IT!! A unique combination of veggies tossed with garlicky, herby pesto makes Roasted Vegetable Salad with Basil Pesto a welcome addition to a summer table. No mayo to try to keep cool, no starchy potatoes or pasta to put you in a food coma…just utter vegetable bliss!

Maddie and I have an obsession with roasted cauliflower…ok, really any roasted veggie. Something magical happens when you put fresh veggies, drizzled with olive oil salt and pepper in a crazy hot oven…they CARAMELIZE (drool)! And let me tell you, and Maddie will back me up here…the browner and more golden they are, the better. We have literally fought over the last caramelly little pieces of roasted cauliflower! So, one afternoon while the Cowboy was grilling some steaks, we decided to mix all of our favorite roasted veggies together and toss them with a yummy basil pesto…it was a showstopper. You know it’s good when your 12 year old makes sure to pack up the leftovers herself and hides them so she can eat them for lunch the next day!

This combination of veggies…eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, onion pepper and asparagus offers great texture, color and flavor… you will never miss the carbs or sugar! Roasted radishes and turnips are a great substitute for that potato texture when you are eating low carb…the combination is just plain YUMMY! You are in for a treat!

If you are using eggplant with a thick skin you should peel it but there are plenty of varieties of eggplant that you may run into at the grocery or farmers market that you can leave the skin on. Don’t like eggplant…you can substitute about 15-20 halved baby bella mushrooms.

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Basil Pesto takes an unexpected mix of garden vegetables, roasts them up to bring out their natural sweetness and adds a scrumptious summer twist with the addition of bright, herbalicous basil pesto! Packed full of flavor and texture, this colorful salad is sure to knock your flip flops off!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Roasted Vegetable Salad with Basil Pesto takes an unexpected mix of garden vegetables, roasts them up to bring out their natural sweetness and adds a scrumptious summer twist with the addition of bright, herbalicous basil pesto! Packed full of flavor and texture, this colorful salad is sure to knock your flip flops off! Gluten Free, Vegetarian & Low Carb!

By: Emilie

Ingredients

2 squash (zucchini or summer), sliced in ½” slices

1 bell pepper, cut in ½” dice

10 asparagus spears, cut into 2” pieces

1 head cauliflower, cleaned and cut into florets

3 cups fresh broccoli florets

20 radishes, cut in half if large

1 small eggplant or about 1 1/2 cups, peeled and diced in 1” cubes

2 small turnips, wedged or diced

½ medium onion, cut into 1” wedges

1/2 cup olive oil

½ tsp. granulated garlic

Salt & Pepper

4 T. of basil pesto, heaping (homemade or your favorite brand)

Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

Step 1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Step 2 Line two large sheet pans with parchment. Place squash, eggplant, broccoli, onion and asparagus on one pan and radishes, turnips and cauliflower on the other. Drizzle each pan of vegetables with ¼ cup olive oil. Sprinkle each pan with ¼ tsp of garlic and season veggies liberally with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Step 3 Place pans in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes or until veggies start to brown and caramelize. The pan with the broccoli and squash will finish first and the pan with the cauliflower will take a little more time. Don’t rush this part…this makes the veggies so incredibly tasty! Once all the veggies are done, place them all in a large bowl, add the basil pesto and toss to coat.

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